Price of coffee here is ridiculous

Over the past couple of weeks I have tackled the big topics: watching TV shows without stealing them, the failings of the hospitality industry in these troubled economic times, and hugging.

Today, we're going to step it up a notch. Focus on the real issues at hand. This is my version of Watergate, people. Hold on to your seats, because here it comes.

Last week I paid $6.50 for a cup of coffee.

No, my fingers didn't slip on the keyboard, I didn't misplace a decimal point, and I didn't add shots of raspberry, hazelnut and sprinkles to my daily cuppa.

Uh-uh. Ladies and gentlemen, an average soy flat white cost me the equivalent of 100gm of smoked salmon.

And do you want to know the depressing thing? It wasn't even that good. In fact, it was bad. There was too much milk, and it was so very, very hot, that four days on, my tongue still feels like I have been rubbing sandpaper on it in my sleep.

If I was going to play the victim, I could say I was asking for the price gouge - after all, this wasn't a coffee from the corner cafe, I happened to be in a rather lovely hotel and needed caffeine to wake up.

But rather than roll over and have a cry, I am outraged. I was not experiencing how the other half live with room service delivering the offending beverage to my five-star suite. No, I was working. I was just a member of the public who found themselves in the vicinity and thought I would try out what was on offer.

What a silly mistake.

But it's not a mistake being made by those buying coffee at just "high-class" establishments. I swear, the price of coffee is getting ridiculous. By asking for soy instead of "normal" milk I usually have to suck up an extra 50 cents, and that's cool. But there was a time where a friendly $5 note would cover it.

And the places that WERE pouring soy for no extra charge, like an unnamed international coffee chain, are starting to reconsider this good-Samaritan view-point and ping us in the pocket again.

We've had to fight this good fight for our Friday afternoon pint - $9 a glass anyone? - and now our early morning habits are in the firing line. When will the madness end? Seriously. I've already had to cut down to one a week and instant coffee is not my friend. Help me Auckland.